Engineering Education Commons^™

Advancing Internationalization With Collaborative Online International Learning (Coil): A Systems Engineering Approach, Sharon Bommer, Olumuyiwa Asaolu, Paul Dagnall, Scott Segalewitz, Oluwatoyin Popoola, Esther Adeyemi

Journal of International Engineering Education

As globalization accelerates and engineering careers increasingly require international collaboration, engineering education programs must design courses and curricula to adequately prepare students for careers as engineers in modern industry. Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL) is a model of teaching and learning that supports the development of intercultural competence through a joint online learning environment. This paper presents a systems engineering approach of module development for an integrated COIL undergraduate course between a university in the United States and a university in Nigeria. The key objectives of this course are to increase students’ intercultural competence and to simulate global engineering management …

The Role Of Autonomy, Competence, And Relatedness In The Relationship Between Ai Use, Resilience, And Motivation Among Engineering Students, Daniel Kane

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

The purpose of this study was to determine how the widespread use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) influences engineering students’ motivation and resilience. Specifically, the role of autonomy, competence, and relatedness as defined in Self-Determination Theory (SDT) was assessed to determine how these basic psychological needs interact with students’ AI use and motivation or resilience. The following research questions guided the study: (1) To what extent do the three basic psychological needs defined in SDT (autonomy, competence, and relatedness) mediate the relationship between the frequency of AI use and students’ levels of motivation (on the self-determination continuum) or resilience in an …

Examining Ai Use Strategies Among Engineering Students: An Exploratory Quantitative Study, Jenny Lee Blonquist

All Graduate Theses and Dissertations, Fall 2023 to Present

Artificial intelligence tools like ChatGPT have quickly become part of everyday life for many people, including engineering students. This has raised concerns about the effects of students relying or over-relying on AI to help with their coursework. Are they still building the problem-solving and reasoning skills they will need as engineers? The purpose of this study is to understand not just whether engineering students use AI, but how they use it.

This research focused on two different ways students can use AI tools. 'Understanding-seeking' is when a student uses AI as a learning support such as asking thoughtful questions to …

Shared Language For Responsible Ai Integration, Asa B. Stone, Mark C. Stone, Alisha Bevins, Jean Claude Niyomugabo, Irene Magara, Jacob Abaare, Derek M. Heeren, Mubarak Abu Zouriq

PRAIRIE: Pioneering Responsible AI for Research, Innovation, and Education

As AI rapidly reshapes how we work and learn, employers increasingly seek graduates who can think before they prompt, exercising judgment under pressure rather than merely producing output. Yet students are praised for AI use in one course and penalized for it in the next, and faculty are left to lead responsibly on shifting ground, with no shared language to guide them.

This paper introduces the PRAIRIE Framework for AI Integration, a shift from reactive gatekeeping toward proactive stewardship. It emerged from a qualitative sentiment analysis of three communities (students, faculty, and industry partners) whose concerns converged on one need: …

Teaching Strategies In The First-Year Engineering Seminar Course, Akua Oppong-Anane, Wen Juan Mo, Marshal Miezah, Gia Huy Pham, Susie Huggins, Lizzie Santiago

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

This poster highlights the teaching strategies that are implemented in the First-Year Engineering Seminar Course at West Virginia University (WVU). The teaching team incorporated active learning techniques into the course to enhance student engagement, promote critical thinking, support the development of engineering identity, and encourage major and career exploration.

Rubric Enhanced Assessment Of Coursework And Teaching (React): Using Portfolios And Rubrics In An Engineering Classroom To Refocus From Grades To Learning, Nathan Lee Galinsky

2026 Scholarly Teaching Conference: Poster Session Papers

The goal of using rubrics in an engineering classroom is to make grading clearer for students and to enhance the learning efforts. Point based grading of work leaves students looking for the correct numerical solution or choice without thinking about their assumptions, process, or approximations. A rubric dissects grading to include the entire solution procedure emphasizing key steps in a solution procedure. Students also don’t have to wonder where partial credit will be focused or what emphasis a solution will be graded on when using rubrics. By combining the rubric assessment techniques with portfolios, students will be empowered to feel …

Design And Development Of A Low-Cost Educational Robot: A Scalable And Affordable Software Learning Platform, Diana Refaat Henry Jacob, Mohamed Tarek Elawa, Ashraf Mohamed Hafez

Journal of Engineering Research

This study presents the design and development of a low-cost educational robot to enhance learning experiences in robotics and programming. The system integrates robust software development, ensuring seamless interaction between sensors, actuators, and a custom-designed graphical user interface (GUI). The robot is equipped with various sensors and actuators to support a broad range of experiments and educational applications. The software architecture is detailed, focusing on its modularity and ease of use, enabling students to intuitively program and interact with the robot. Additionally, a series of experiments were conducted to evaluate the performance of the sensors and actuators, providing insights into …

A Multiple Mixed-Method Analysis On Empathy In First Year Engineering Education, Libby Flanagan

All Dissertations

This multiple mixed method analysis focuses on exploring how teaching empathy to first year engineering students interacts with their engineering identity and their personal definition of the role of an engineer. The participants received a four-lesson series on empathy and engineering in the Fall of 2023. They completed a pre- and post-survey as well as wrote five written reflections over the course of this semester. Analysis of the survey results found that composite empathy and engineering identity scores increased significantly over the course of this semester and that the increase in female composite engineering identity scores was significantly larger than …

Engineering Student Learning And Identity: Development Using Sociotechnical Analysis, Alex Yannelli, Fredy Herrarte

College of Engineering Summer Undergraduate Research Program

This project examines the effect of sociotechnical thinking in the context of engineering core classes. Sociotechnical analysis is a problem-solving method that integrates social economic factors into a technical problem to mimic a “real world problem”. Our team analyzed 51 responses to a sociotechnical module from two Statics classes at Cal Poly. Responses were coded and themes identified using qualitative research methods and an online qualitative research software. Our team identified a relationship between engagement with the module and discussions of self, personal engineering identity, and thinking skills. Future goals will be focused on continued data collection and analysis, application …

Influence Of Language Evolution And Compiler Advances On Program Creation: Implications To Electronics Engineering Education, Ralph Anthony Ramos Rafael, King Harold A. Recto

Electronics, Computer, and Communications Engineering Faculty Publications

The progression of programming languages, from machine and assembly languages to high-level and very high-level languages, and now towards natural language processing and artificial intelligence, has significantly influenced program creation and assembly. Each generation has brought notable advancements in abstraction, readability, and usability, making programming increasingly accessible and efficient. Early languages such as machine and assembly languages were hardware-dependent and low-level, concentrating on direct interaction with hardware. This paradigm shifted significantly with the emergence of high-level languages, which abstracted hardware specifics and emphasized logic and functionality. These shifts have had profound impacts, particularly in Engineering Education, by potentially reducing the …

Implementation Of Bayesian Statistics To Answer Diverse Engineering Questions: Applications In Cancer Immunology And Engineering Education, Anika C. Pirkey

Graduate Theses, Dissertations, and Problem Reports (ETD)

Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP) refers to a mechanistic modeling approach used for assessing potential therapeutics by linking the molecular and cellular level mechanisms of the disease and therapeutic to the system-wide dynamics and clinical endpoints relevant to the disease. Although the field of QSP is still in its relative infancy, the mathematical methodology employed to predict the kinetics of these systems are not new and can be applied to a wide variety of systems. For instance, similar to QSP’s goal of guiding the development of novel therapeutics for various disease states, there exists a need to develop novel interventions in …

Contemporary Landscape, Drivers And Developments In Engineering Education For Sustainability, Edmond Byrne

Plenary Presentations and Doctoral Symposium

The ‘landscape’ around sustainability education in engineering has continued to evolve. Engineering education for sustainability largely emerged originally out of environmental engineering imperatives, though more recent developments have considerably broadened the scope of ‘sustainability’ teaching in professional engineering programmes. This has implications for associated curriculum developments as well as having pedagogical implications. Principal drivers for these developments emanate from the evolving requirements of professional engineering bodies internationally. These drivers have been supported and supplemented by an enhanced sense of urgency in the wake of the impacts of an unsustainable societal construct (e.g. the consequences of accelerated climate change, biodiversity loss, …

Time To Rethink Engineering Outreach?, Robin Clark, Jane Andrews, Yiduo Wang, Gill Cooke, Ninna Makrinov

Research Papers

Starting with the research question ‘Does engineering outreach work?’ this paper looks at the often ‘sticky’ subject of the validity of engineering outreach in UK High Schools. It examines how Engineering Outreach Activities are conceptualised by external bodies (RAEng., 2016) and critiques the complex range of practical experiential engineering educational interventions offered in school (Neon, 2023, STEM learning, 2023). Drawing upon the findings of, what is, a small single strand of a much larger multi-method, longitudinal analysis of Engineering Education Outreach Activities provided across the West Midlands region of the UK (LBEEP, 2023) ], the paper provides a unique insight …

Engineering Education Evolution, Janusz Szpytko

Research Papers

Over the years, human needs have been subject to evolution, which translated into economic development and was the result of research, development of knowledge and technology, lifelong learning and the development of skills combined with engineering competences. The paper attempts to analyze the evolution of education with a focus on engineering in the context of the development of technology over the years in conjunction with the significant achievements of technology and engineering craftsmanship. As a result, conclusions were formulated regarding the challenges in the areas of new techniques and engineering solutions that fit into the activities aimed at sustainable development …

Rethinking Evolution Of Active Learning In The Hybrid/Online Engineering Education In The Post-Covid-19 Era: A Quantitative Keyword Co-Occurrence Analysis, Yiwen Xu, Thitiwat Piyatamrong, Abel Nyamapfene

Research Papers

In response to COVID-19, education witnessed a rapid shift to online and virtual platforms. Our previous research has raised questions about the efficacy of these methods for hands-on practice and active learning experiences - crucial elements of engineering education. Emergent solutions like online laboratories and virtual field trips have led to the rise of a hybrid learning era in the post-pandemic context. This change necessitates a reassessment of active learning in hybrid/online engineering education. In this study, we examine recent literature on online and virtual education during and post-COVID-19 to redefine and reevaluate strategies for engaging students actively. We propose …

Emotional Labor Experienced In Team-Projects: A Comparison Of Engineering And Hospitality Students, Nihat Kotluk, Roland Tormey, Rachel Germanier, Annick Darioly

Research Papers

Team projects are an integral part of the student learning experience. However, emotions can significantly affect student performance during team projects. Students use different emotion regulation strategies, such as surface-acting (emotive dissonance) and deep-acting, to regulate their emotions during team projects. These strategies can result in different ‘emotional labor’ levels, leading to emotional exhaustion, dissonance, and burnout. The level of emotional labor may also vary depending on the discipline and the nature of the work. This study thus investigated if engineering and hospitality students have different levels of emotional labor in team projects. Data were collected using a modified Emotional …

Addressing Challenges Of The Sdgs: Stakeholder Perspectives On Skills Required By Engineering Students On The Island Of Ireland, Rosalind M Henry, Margaret Morgan, Una Beagon, Brian Bowe, Ruchita Jani, Janet Mckennedy

Research Papers

Living sustainably on a shared island poses both challenges and opportunities for engineers of the future. Whilst at a European level, the professional skills that engineers will need to achieve Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) have been identified, less has been written on how these skills should be contextualised for a national, regional and/or local level. This research paper considers the specific professional skills required for engineers on the island of Ireland. It examines differing perspectives of stakeholders, comparing and contrasting views according to local context (Northern Ireland (NI), Ireland). A professional skills survey was designed, drawing on previous research which …

Problematising And Framing Spatial Research In Engineering Education, Meryn Mcnea, Reena Cole, David Tanner, Diarmaid Lane

Research Papers

Spatial research has experienced a surge in popularity across the global community in recent years, with an undeniable rise in the favourability of spatial thinking approaches in academic and higher education settings. An engineer’s spatial ability is dependent on their capacity to engage a set of cognitive skills to visualise, reason and communicate spatial relations between objects and space. With the recent growth in popularity around spatial research, new spatial terms are frequently introduced resulting in a definitional overlap between terms and ideas. This may sometimes result in a lack of clarity regarding spatial terms and definitions, with the definitions …

Exploring Women’S Teamwork Experiences In Engineering Education: A Phenomenological Analysis, Sandra Ireri Cruz Moreno, Shannon Chance, Brian Bowe

Research Papers

Teamwork, project or problem based learning, and other collaborative learning strategies are often presented as approaches that benefit women and other minorities during their studies in Science and Engineering fields of education. This is based on the assumption that underrepresented groups will respond positively to the social integration and cooperation encouraged by these learning methods. However, research also shows that gendered stereotypical presuppositions about attributes and interests can influence the performance of team members and the tasks developed, potentially providing opportunities to sexism, racism, and other exclusionary social behaviours.

Effects Of High School Engineering Course Availability And Participation On Engineering School Recruitment, Discipline Selection, Persistence Attitudes, And Self-Efficacy, Kristin S. Sandberg

Theses and Dissertations

The need for engineers in the workforce continues to grow. Filling this need requires recruiting future engineers to colleges and universities and retaining them through to degree completion. However, this is easier said than done. Universities are tasked with attempting to keep up with the demand for new engineers and companies are searching for new engineers to recruit. One avenue that has been established in the attempt to reach students for engineering is offering engineering or STEM classes in K-12 schools.

This dissertation looked at engineering classes offered at the high school level. These courses were analyzed for relationships with …

Examining The Influence Of The Classroom Environment On Motivation, Belonging, And Academic Confidence In Engineering Education: A Relational Developmental Systems Approach, Robert O'Hara

All Dissertations

This dissertation explores the impact of the classroom environment on undergraduate engineering students by integrating three manuscripts using the process-person-context-time (PPCT) model within Bioecological Systems Theory. Each manuscript focused on students’ sense of belonging, motivation, and academic confidence. The study confirms prior research suggesting a link between students' perceptions of the environment and their sense of belonging, motivation, and academic confidence. The findings highlight the complex nature of student and classroom environment relationships throughout their college experience. Moreover, the results are demonstrated across different engineering majors. Overall, this dissertation highlights the significance of understanding the complex interactions between students and …

Engineering Society: The Role Of Intersectional Gender And Diversity Studies For A Sustainable Transformation On The Case Of Interdisciplinary Engineering Education, Jennifer Bosen, Sebastian Bernhard, Evamaria Fauster, Marie Decker, Miriam Lämmerhirt, Carmen Leicht-Scholten

Practice Papers

Technological innovations are impacting societies in manifold ways and can accelerate a transformation toward sustainability. To enable a sustainable transformation through engineering, engineers educated to create technological solutions for global challenges must be educated in sustainability principles as postulated under ‘Education for Sustainable Development’ (ESD) in the Agenda for Sustainable Development. In technological fields, the ecological, as well as the economical perspective of sustainability, are often addressed, but as recent research has highlighted, sustainability needs to be addressed holistically; this means including the social dimension to a greater degree and applying an intersectional understanding of gender and diversity throughout all …

A Scoping Review: Examples Of Mission-Driven And Mission-Oriented Innovation In Engineering Education Research, Svend Hauekrog Christiansen, Anna Overgaard Markman, Aida Guerra, Xiangyun Du

Practice Papers

Engineers of the future are being requested to become part of solutions for dealing with complexities in the world, exemplified by the adaptation of the 17 United Nations sustainable development goals (SDGs). Ensuring that engineering students are introduced to these is of the utmost importance, if sustainable solutions to grand challenges shall be developed, whether being of technological, social and cultural, and/or economic character. This paper entails a scoping review of the concept of mission-driven or mission-oriented innovation, as defined by the European Commission (EC) and the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), in engineering education research (EER). Seven …

Teamwork Satisfaction And Student Attitudes Towards Online Learning During An Engineering Problem And Project Based Learning (Pbl) Module, Sean O'Connor, Jason Richard Power, Nicolaas Blom, David A Tanner, Victoria De Brún

Practice Papers

Research has shown that students that report high levels of learner satisfaction and positive attitudes are more likely to succeed within the online environment. This is reflected in the considerable body of research that focuses on these factors across a range of academic disciplines. By assessing students' attitudes and satisfaction, educators gain a valuable affective perspective that allows for a more complete examination of strategy effectiveness. This paper examines teamwork satisfaction and student attitude towards online learning, while also highlighting elements of successful online collaboration as identified by students using the instruments developed by Hasler-Waters & Napier, Ku et al, …

Stem Education And Research At The University Of Aruba For Sustainable Development Of Small Island Developing States: Case Studies On Energy Efficiency And Waste Management., Alba De Agustin Camacho, Mieke De Droog, Wim Van Petegem

Practice Papers

SISSTEM “Sustainable Island Solutions through Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics” is a higher educational programme created in 2019 at the University of Aruba in response to the need for engineering education and research in Small Island Developing States (SIDS). In this contribution, the SISSTEM programme is introduced, and how SISSTEM equips engineering students with hard and soft skills while addressing local sustainability challenges is showcased through two case studies. The first case study presents a bachelor course that combines sustainability theory with a teamwork project in which students conduct an energy audit to a local institution. With this course, students …

Instructors' Expectations And Objectives For Integrating Sustainable Development And Ethical Issues Into The Curriculum, Tauno Aki Tepsa, Juhani Angelva, Maisa Tuulikki Mielikäinen

Practice Papers

The integration of sustainable development and ethical issues into the curriculum is increasingly important in higher education. The study surveyed 17 instructors in ICT engineering education at Lapland University of Applied Sciences who were involved in curriculum development to explore their expectations and objectives in integrating sustainable development and ethical issues into their courses. Although most instructors had a good understanding of sustainable development and ethical issues, not all saw them as relevant to their courses. Those who did incorporate these themes focused on topics such as energy conservation, social sustainability, and sustainability and ethics in solutions. However, almost half …

Inclusive Design In Action – A Case Study Describing The Design Of Social Area Seating In A University, Mary Nolan, Eva Murphy, Mary Carden

Practice Papers

This practice paper outlines the inclusive design process used in the redesign of communal/social seating in an Engineering faculty in a University in Ireland. The old seating was not being utilised by the students. Engineering courses often present challenging assignments to students; literature shows that access to information, knowledge exchanges and opportunities for learning through social interaction can be crucial to student success.

Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) has grown as an important agenda item across society. Therefore, the methodology used in this redesign was inclusive design. Inclusive design is a design framework that takes into account the diversity of …

Instructional Considerations For Virtual Reality In Engineering Training And Education: Preliminary Research Results, Haider Al-Juboori, Gina Noonan, Vincent O Brien, Dorel Picovici

Practice Papers

Digital reality has been gradually introduced into all parts of human society, and the field of education is no exception due to the potential of technology and related tools to enhance the teaching and learning process. However, there is still a paucity of research in this area within an Irish higher education context. The research explores how to best employ virtual reality (VR), using the Oculus Quest 2 system, to improve and develop the level of contemporary training, as well as to enhance the educational experience. Both the technical and educational perspectives will be considered. The researched sample consists of …

Exploring Strategies To Promote Engagement And Active Learning Through Digital Course Design In Engineering Mathematics, Fulya Kula, Erik M. Horstman, Lavinia S. Lanting, Linda R. Ten Klooster

Practice Papers

This research explores the strategies and techniques used to foster and promote the engagement and active learning of engineering students within a digital course. This digital course has been developed to address the varying levels of understanding of fundamental mathematics among first-year engineering students, who often have disparate levels of prior knowledge at their high school completion. We observe an increasing need to bridge the widening gap between high school and university mathematics in order to prevent engineering students from being hindered in their academic successes due to a lack of prior mathematical understanding. With a team of engineers and …

Improving Employability With A Competence Profile (Practice), Giajenthiran Velmurugan, Dennis Friedrichsen

Practice Papers

Employability has become a central focus for Higher Education Institutions. The European University Association’s report states that graduates should acquire a mix of transversal and discipline-specific skills. An educational approach known for providing students with this is Problem-Based Learning. An institution known for successful implementation of PBL is Aalborg University located in Denmark. In this paper we will look at an initiative they have recently launched to improve the employability of their engineering graduates. Employability can be defined from different perspectives. In this paper we develop a framework where employability is viewed from three different perspectives. 1) Internal values, beliefs …